You Will Have a Pleasant Experience
by Audrey Bogart
Summary: Fortune cookies don't exactly tell the future but Mr. Reynolds believes he is in charge of his own destiny. But the fortune hits just a little to close to home for his liking.
1. Meet Miss October

I know, I need to stop writing new stories until I finish the ones I have already. But this one will be short and sweet. Think of it as an episode of Firefly.

* * *

**You Will Have a Pleasant Experience – Meet Miss October**

Mr. Choy's Fine Asian Cuisine wasn't the finest in the universe but it delivered well on the bottom tag line of 'All you can eat'. And with appetites as big as the crew of the Serenity, Mr. Choy's was an excellent choice for a night out.

* * *

The job had gone exceedingly smooth, considering their luck, and was a decent pay off for a seemingly legal job. Pick the stuff up, bring the stuff in, and don't ask questions. It was a play by play that Malcolm Reynolds had performed quite often and kept in his own mental playbook for future references. He had even grown a generous bone in his body and proudly exclaimed that dinner would be on his check tonight. And so, in a unanimous decision, the crew opted for Mr. Choy's.

The interior was wickedly cliché with its bright ornaments and glossy gold dragons draped along the ceiling. Deep maple tables were laid out for the large group, followed by a nervous crowd of ladies who adorned the rich burgundy floor with pastel pillows for the crew's comfort. Politely thanking the women, the crew sat down and began to order the first round of beer and the occasional glass of wine for Inara. After three plates filled to capacity with deep fried dumpling and spicy chicken atop fried rice, the crew was given their fortune cookies.

This had always been a special treat for Mal's crew for the funny lines mixed with the refreshingly hazy aftermath of alcohol always kept the crew laughing during their public reading of the fortunes. Kaylee was the first to read out loud. The flirtatious mechanic cleared her throat and broke open the brittle cookie as every set of eyes landed on her.

"The one you love is closer than you think." She smiled as she tucked the little piece of paper into the pocket of her overalls.

"Yeah, he's right across the table." Inara nudged Jayne as Simon and Kaylee exchanged shy glances in opposite directions. "What?" It was impossible to tip toe around the couple's affections just as it was impossible to ignore a good rip into the same feelings.

"Why don't we read your fortune Jayne?" The muscle for hire rolled his eyes and crushed the cookie in his large hand until the slip of paper fell through his fingers.

"The greatest danger could be your…stupidity." The table burst into a fit of laughter as karma kicked the man's ass. Wash was up next as he bit off the corner of the brown cookie and chewed viciously as the rest of the crew looked on.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. That is SO deep! Honey, this is going in our book!" The warrior woman he would lovingly call wife on good days and Zoe on kind of good days rolled her eyes and broke open her own crunchy baked good. "What does yours say?" Zoe's husband's excitement was contagious and she could feel her smile grow as his curiosity peaked.

"Let there be magic in your smile and firmness in your handshake." Her husband grinned cheekily.

"I can definitely vouch for that one!" The group then turned to the doctor of the crew and allowed him to slowly open his fortune. They could only hope it was as good as Jayne's.

"One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes." He looked up at the shy mechanical genius and wolf whistles echoed throughout the restaurant. He silently begged his sister to take the present spotlight off of him, to which she happily obliged.

"The time is right to make new friends." They stared at the odd girl for a moment before River blurted out "I'm not all that good making old friends let alone new ones." They smiled kindly at her before moving on to Inara. She had almost refused to take part in the silly gestures, claiming that you control your own destiny as well as your fortunes, but why spoil the fun? She calmly cracked open her cookie and took a long sip from her wine glass.

"There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure." She smiled sweetly and tucked it away in her coin purse. There was no need to make a big spectacle out of it. The courtesan then motioned for the good Shepherd to read his own fortune aloud.

"Grand adventures await those who are willing to turn the corner." He chuckled as the crew nodded their heads in agreement. They had all seen their fair share of adventures through the years whether it be a new location, a new relationship, or a new path yet taken. He then patted the captain's shoulder and asked for his recitation of his fortune.

"I don't think so Shepherd…I make my own fortunes. I don't need some little cheaply made cookie to tell me otherwise." Kaylee snorted as she munched down on the brittle cookie.

"Oh, come on Cap'n. It's only fair." In the years since he had met Kaylee, he had yet to say no to her unless it had been for her own good. The captain of the Serenity leaned back on his pillow and broke the fortune cookie in two, letting the small piece of paper glide onto his lap. Clearing his voice, he spoke up to read the small passage:

"You will have a pleasant experience. Well…that's pretty reassuring." Placing the paper on the table he turned his head to the far right wall that housed a tacky jade colored dragon as a commotion arose on the other side. Before the rest of the crew could turn to investigate as well, the wall was broken into pieces as a very large man was hurled through the air. A shadowy silhouette filled the space where the tattered wall laid in pieces. A finicky giggled burst from the figure but was knocked out by another large man. Before anyone could react, a body was thrown against the hard table, knocking over heavy glasses and spilling what was left of the wine. Tucked underneath a rich bowler hat was an intricate braid with strands of tiny beads weaved through the chocolate colored strands of hair. As the rest of the crew stood to defend themselves if need be, Malcolm remained seated and studied the person at hand.

Underneath the long braid and the hat sat a face with impeccable features that, although smudgy, were breathtakingly beautiful. A tiny nose sat upon a perfectly arched pair of rosy lips which were set off by the innocent blush creeping over her cheeks. A small beauty mark shimmied itself within the confines of an impish dimple. The rest of her was just as wonderful. The clothes she had chosen hugged her curves – from the tailored vest fitted snugly over a crisp white shirt to the suede pants that almost looked as soft as that braid, the attire left plenty to the imagination.

The woman smirked up at Malcolm and crossed her legs as Jayne jumped to the defense and clipped the man with a right hook. The strange female hardly seemed to notice as she fixed her baby blue eyes onto the man gazing at her. Her rear was still planted against the wood, but she propped herself up on her elbows. The whole scene was quite lady like – despite the fact that she had been tossed over onto a sturdy table.

"Well I'll be a horse's ass! If it ain't Malcolm Reynolds, himself!" He blanched as the melodic voice reached his ears. He was barely paying attention to the chaos unfolding behind him as the woman tipped her hat. The sugary twang of a long ago accent dripped from her lips like fresh honey and the memories just poured from her being. He felt himself linger in the moment before smiling back at her.

"Getting into trouble again, October?" She flipped her braid behind her and winked one of the endlessly blue eyes.

"Hell, I stay in trouble…" He nodded and helped her from her new seat, his hands fitting easily over her own. The fight had broken down, with the favored win going to Jayne and his brute tactics. It wasn't until the atmosphere had settled around them that the crew noticed the woman smiling up at their captain. Mal knew the interrogation was coming up so he hastily pulled out his wallet and confirmed that a large tip would be left and all questions would be answered on the Serenity. Before leaving, he crunched up the paper fortune and tossed it into his beer mug.

"Pleasant my ass…"

* * *

When the captain reached the lower quarters of his ship, he came upon quite the scene. October and River were pacing around each other, staring the other one down like a wolf hunting its prey. Malcolm quickly pulled the woman by her elbow so that she was standing beside him.

"You can't psyche her out." The woman named October snorted at this statement and tried to move back in for the kill, only to be pulled back once more. "October…you can't psyche out a psychic." Her big blue eyes widened, as did her cheeky smirk.

"Cap'n? Are you going to introduce the new guest?" Malcolm's jaw fell a bit as he laughed nervously.

"Her? Oh…this is just October. She's my…uh…my my my…" October's head rolled with the word as he stuttered up a lie.

"I'm his sister!" Malcolm sighed heavily as he ignored the horrible web that had just been woven. "October Reynolds!" With that, she held out her hand and made the proper acquaintances with the crew of the Serenity. At one time, the woman standing beside him had been the most charming female in the world. He could only pray that those charms hadn't disappeared when he had chosen to leave her.


	2. Rebel Yell

**You Will Have a Pleasant Experience – Rebel Yell**

After a brief introduction, the captain made his excuses to receive the eccentric October alone in his quarters. There were millions of questions from childhood memories that they shared to Wash's outburst of laughter that his wife really didn't know everything there was to Captain Reynolds. October handled them beautifully, claiming that her _dear _brother had left their quiet home in search of fortune and glory. She had painted a scene straight out of the book of all that is pure and homely. She politely nodded her head towards the crew and followed Mal into his bunker where he proceeded to lock the door behind them. October situated herself on the worn mattress and propped her boot clad feet up on the wall so that her wonderfully handsome Mal was upside-down in her line of sight.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Her rosy hued lips became a silly pout as she clicked her feet on the metal wall.

"Now, Malcolm Reynolds, is that any way to treat your sister?" Her cheeky grin made the captain cringe to his very core.

"You're full of it. How in the world am I going to explain this to my crew? And where in the hell did you get 'sister'?" She popped off of the bed at this question and giggled incredulously as she propped her arms on Mal's shoulders.

"I know! It just came to me! I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one!" Malcolm stayed standing stoically in front of October, his arms crossed over his chest.

"October…we don't even look alike." She smirked at this statement and wrapped her arms around his neck in a dangerously seductive gesture. From this point of view, Mal could clearly see the hues of blues melting into a void within her eyes.

"Well hell Mal, what did you want me to say? That we used to screw around?" She watched his eyes falter for a moment as she pushed a sensitive button in the confines of his memory. It hadn't been long enough for either of them. He gently pushed her away from his body and shook his head. The last thing he needed was October's long soap opera entertaining his crew. He slowly opened his bunker door and allowed the stranger to exit. As she climbed up the ladder, she felt his strong hand grasp her elbow.

"I'll take you as far Edina and then you'll have to buy passage to wherever it is you're heading." She cocked her head to the side, her loose braid falling over her shoulder. "That is what you wanted, isn't it? Safe passage?" She smiled warmly at her old friend and nodded her thank you.

* * *

October was a light packer. She carried only two bags with her wherever she went and was surprised to find them lying on a bed unopened. The crew of the Firefly had been a cautiously curious bunch and the girl half expected someone to be going through her things while she spoke with the captain. On the other hand, she was glad nothing had been touched. After a moment of checking out her surroundings, a light knock alerted the presence of River and Kaylee. Both girls were eager to learn about this exciting stranger on board. October left the door open as they wandered into her room in case the captain had anything else to say to her tonight.

A few articles of clothing were strewn about the bed in a very messy fashion but gave access to the two girls to check out October's belongings. There were the various pairs of pants much like the suede ones she was wearing at the moment and a variety of shirts for every season. There was also long, gypsy like skirts cut from an assortment of scarves and a few flower speckled peasant tops as well. October preferred the more relaxed approach to fashion. However, it was River who discovered the lacey red underwear with a matching garter and pulled it from the canvas bag as if it were a rare jewel. The usually boisterous October reddened to the same color as the panties and yanked them from the psychic's hands. Kaylee laughed as she stuffed them into a side pocket.

"Those were very colorful undergarments."

"I used to work in a burlesque house and when I quit, I decided to raid their closet." Both pairs of eyes widened at the thought of something as grand as a burlesque house. "Don't get too excited there…I didn't last long." Kaylee helped the beautiful stranger fold her clothes as she spoke.

"Did you fall in love with one of your customers?" She stopped at that, a faraway look enveloping her sight.

"No…quite the opposite. I was running away from love."

A deep guttural clearing of a man's throat broke the silence as all three pairs of eyes darted towards Jayne's looming figure in the doorway. He refused to look at the new addition on board and silently motioned in the direction of the dining room.

"The captain would like you in the dining room…with that black bag." Everyone knew what was being hidden within the black duffel bag and it was common procedure for the captain to survey the weaponry of a stranger. He couldn't risk his other crew members and he sure as hell didn't trust the woman. October grinned and placed her bowler hat on the pillow of her bed and gently grasped the leather handles.

"Of course!" She idly walked past the muscle for hire without losing her flawless smile. Jayne suddenly found his feet more interesting than the situation at hand.

* * *

Malcolm Reynolds sighed as he unzipped the bag and eagerly dipped inside October's arsenal. The first weapon to peek out was a small hand gun that Mal guessed she kept around for its size. It was easily concealable. The next item was a larger rifle, unloaded, of course only to be followed by a shotgun. The captain eyeballed the young woman but she simply shrugged her slender shoulders. She wasn't going to apologize for owning a gun…let alone a gun that had protected her from many tight circumstances. The rest of the group gasped as a large machete was unsheathed from a leather carrier. Her baby blue orbs rolled at the dramatic noises.

"The guns…I understand. But what's with a knife the size of a small moon?" October's attention, however, wasn't on the bag but on the muscular idiot that refused to make eye contact.

"I know you from somewhere…" The brute turned his chair away, leaving the stranger to Mal's interrogation. "What? I have to protect myself, Malcolm Reynolds." A small clicking of plastic caught the captain's attention as he continued to dig through the bag. At last, he brought out a CD. The crew exchanged glances as October crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword. It takes a real spirit to pen those words." He flipped through the case and turned it around so that the bold words 'Billy Idol' were put on display. "Don't judge my tastes in music, Mal." Her sky colored eyes was once again on Jayne and his back until she finally snapped her fingers with glee. "The burlesque house! I knew I knew you from somewhere! You were the idiot that kept asking for Bertha's key to her private room!" The man refused to meet her excited expression as he felt the stern glare from the shepherd.

"I don't know anything about a burlesque house!" Kaylee giggled and inquired to who Bertha was.

"She was one of our heavier entertainers. She put on a comedy routine every night and this sot over here wouldn't leave her alone one night. He was so intoxicated…the night guard finally had to throw him out. But he DID get an invitation to a private party with Bertha!" Everyone in the room laughed heartily at Jayne's drunken romantic pursuit as October retold the story. Everyone, that is, except Mal.

"You worked in a burlesque house?"

* * *

The metal halls of the Firefly were eerily quiet with the silent slumber of its crew, except for the captain who had remained awake. He had tried to sleep but his brain kept plaguing him with images of the night he met October and the instant fire between them. He hadn't met anyone quite like her back then and no one had come close to her personality since. His memories wandered back to that night…

It was a small town party, the kind that brings everyone out of their homes for one of drinking and dancing. Malcolm had been staying in the town for the night in hopes of working some odd jobs here and there until he could book a voyage to his own hometown, which he prayed hadn't been touched by the numerous battles or worse, by Reavers. And it was nice to push those depressing thoughts away for the time being while he enjoyed the guitar filled songs and laughter of the townsfolk.

A large bonfire had been built in the middle of the town and it was around those flames that Malcolm Reynolds first set eyes on the mysterious woman conversing with an elderly gentleman. There was no wooden cup filled to the brim with cheap wine like the rest of the civilians and the way her hair flowed freely down her back created a mystical air about her. She caught the man's attention and returned his glances with a sincere smile of interest. She finished her conversation and wrapped a silky black shawl around her bare shoulders. It would be several hours later until he saw her again.

Their eyes met again across the town. Folds of people stood in-between them but attraction is a brutal force. She ran toward him with a ferocity not known to his simple soul and he eagerly accepted her when she made impact with his body. Nothing in the universe felt so right as fireworks ignited themselves inside the forms of October and Malcolm. And that was all it took. He didn't need to know her favorite color or the name of her first dog or how she received the small scar above her eyebrow (although he would later find out she received it from her sister after October stole her prized doll), for the kiss they shared told more secrets than either of them were willing to speak aloud. And for the next year and a half…that's all they needed.

* * *

October sighed as she relived those carefree days in her mind. She hadn't been searching for Mal or his ship but luck just happened to be on her side this time. She was glad she had run into him though. A loud siren stirred the Firefly as the young woman heard the scurried footsteps of Wash and Malcolm running towards the front of the ship. Poking her head out of the small doorway, she tried to get a grasp on what was going on but gave up when no one else entered the front room. It wasn't until the captain came over the intercom and announced that everyone except the good doctor and his sister needed to be present downstairs – they had company.

The Alliance police force was known to be a 'bunch of pricks' as October had so bluntly put it when she came downstairs in a soft skirt and messy hair. Book tried to calmly reason with her, stating that these men were hired to do a job and were doing just that. The woman simply scoffed awaited the small interrogation brought on by the Alliance.

The head officer's eyes scanned the crew from head to toe, examining them like a fungus in a test tube. His beady black eyes made everyone uneasy, except for their captain, who had seen the likes of the Alliance and what they were capable of – nothing surprised him when it came to them. The officer asked the mandatory questions such as 'Where are you headed?' and 'Is everyone accounted for on this ship?' He then moved on to individual questions. He asked Book how long he had been a Shepherd and questioned Inara about her living situation with the Firefly. Jayne chose to keep quiet and use a psychological tactic, which proved useless. The officer approached October and looked her over once more.

"Your eyes look bloodshot. Have you been drinking?" It wasn't a particularly offensive accusation because it was mostly true. The brawl she had escaped from when she ran into Mal had surfaced because of her inability to say no to alcohol. But October wasn't the type of person to just roll over with a sweet smile for the Alliance.

"Gee, sir, your eyes look glazed. Have you been eating a donut?"


End file.
